Man who 'foamed at mouth' as he stabbed best mate to death is jailed for at least 14 years

ROBERT GRACIE, 23, was said to have been "like a maniac" when he set upon father-of-one James Tierney at a party. Minutes later the fencer phoned his employer and said: "I'll not be at my work for 10 years. I've just stabbed someone."

A MAN who killed one of his best friends in a frenzied knife attack during a row at a party has been jailed for at least 14 years.

Robert Gracie, 23, was said to have been "like a maniac" and foaming at the mouth when he set upon father-of-one James Tierney with a nine-inch blade.

The 27-year-old welder was stabbed eight times in front of onlookers and suffered massive blood loss. The two men were said to have known each other since childhood.

Minutes after the attack Gracie, who worked as a fencer, phoned his employer and said: "I'll not be at my work for 10 years. I've just stabbed someone. I've been assaulted by a brick."

The fatal row erupted after Gracie became upset, believing people at the party he threw at his West Lothian home had shown a "lack of respect" for the property.

Gracie warned that he was going to go "f***ing mental" moments before launching the attack at Letham Place, Pumpherston, on April 2 last year.

During an earlier hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh, he admitted murdering Mr Tierney.

At the High Court in Aberdeen today, judge Lord Uist sentenced Gracie to life in prison, with a minimum of 14 years before he is considered for parole.

The judge said the attack "defied comprehension" and said the number of stab wounds inflicted was "shocking".

He reduced the sentence from 16 years for his plea of guilty.

As Gracie's prison term was read out, members of Mr Tierney's family sat in the public gallery, sobbing.

One woman shouted: "You rot in hell, you're scum," as he was led away from the dock.

Gracie's defence lawyer Raymond McMenamin told the court that his client had only intended to have two friends, one of them Mr Tierney, over for drinks at the home he shared with his mother on the evening of Friday April 1.

However, he said Mr Tierney invited others and the gathering turned into a party. He added that Gracie had not known some of the guests.

As the evening progressed, a drink-fuelled argument broke out between Mr Tierney and two other guests on the stairs, which resulted in Mr Tierney being hit in the face.

During the commotion, a picture frame was knocked off a wall and Gracie shouted at everyone, telling them all to leave the house.

However, Mr Tierney was said to have taken exception at being told to go and other partygoers started to ridicule Gracie for the way he was acting.

At an earlier hearing, Advocate Depute Pino Di Emidio said Mr Tierney challenged Gracie, and the pair went on to "square up to each other" in the back garden in the early hours of the following morning.

The two men started throwing punches at each other and Gracie picked up a knife from the kitchen and struck Mr Tierney with it repeatedly on the chest area.

Mr McMenamin said Gracie armed himself with a weapon because he thought Mr Tierney was coming at him with something in his hand, possibly a brick, but that he now accepted that was not the case.

He continued to stab him even after Mr Tierney fell to the ground and tried to cover his head, the court heard.

Onlookers described Gracie as "being like a maniac" and said he was screaming, gritting his teeth and foaming at the mouth.

When he finally stopped, he said: "Oh Jimmy, what have I done?," before dialling 999 and immediately admitting he had killed his friend.

Minutes later the killer phoned his employer and said something like: "I'll not be at my work for 10 years. I've just stabbed someone. I've been assaulted by a brick."

The Crown did not accept Gracie's claim that Mr Tierney had tried to attack him first with a brick and his guilty plea to the reduced charge of culpable homicide was rejected at a hearing on April 24 last year.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Tierney suffered eight stab wounds to his neck and body, three of which punctured his lungs and two were said to have "injured the bone".

Lord Uist said: "You took the knife from the kitchen out to the garden to carry out the assault, in the course of which you inflicted eight separate stab wounds on him (Mr Tierney).

"The three main stab wounds penetrated to depths of nine, 13 and 14.5cm respectively and two of them injured bone.

"The family of Mr Tierney have been devastated by his death. What you did that night defies comprehension and is, as you yourself accept, something that you will have to live with for the rest of your life.

"I accept that you have shown remorse for your actions. I take note in particular of your good work record and previous good character.

"I sentence you to imprisonment for life. I must also fix the punishment part of your sentence, being the period which you must spend in full in prison before you can apply to the Parole Board to be released on licence.

"Had you been convicted by a jury after trial I would have fixed the punishment part at 16 years. In light of your guilty plea at a preliminary hearing that period will be discounted to 14 years."

Mr Tierney, who lived in Harrysmuir Terrace, also Pumpherston, was described as a popular and sociable young man who was well known in the community.

He had one daughter from a relationship which ended in 2004.

Gracie has a young son, born in October last year, and at the time of the attack he was engaged to be married.